SGA INTRODUCTION TO THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY

Centerpoint Energy - Houston TX

Room 1360-65

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

Tuesday, May 20

8:00 a.m. Continental breakfast

8:30   Welcome and Overview - Pat Downey, Vice President, Southern Gas Association

8:45  Industry Participants and Key Players - Michael Hansen, SGA Consulting

• Production companies
• Pipelines
• Gas supply marketers
• Local distribution companies (LDC's)
• End users
• Trade associations

9:15   Natural Gas Exploration & Production - Michael Hansen

• Finding and Producing Resources to Fuel America's Economic Engine
• Basic drivers of an exploration & production company
• Capital investment and cash flow considerations
• Production procedures - drilling/testing and well completion
• Selling the product

10:15   Break

10:30 The Interstate Pipeline System - Michael Hansen

• Natural gas transmission
• Construction practices and procedures
• Operations and maintenance
• Gas storage

11:45 Lunch (provided)

1:00 p.m. Transportation and Sale of Natural Gas - Michael Hansen

• Pipeline capacity services
• Contracts
• Nominations, confirmation & allocation of gas purchases

2:00   The Local Distribution Company (LDC) - Roger Krenek, CenterPoint Energy

• Industry role
• The physical system
• Operations and maintenance

3:00    Break

3:15   LDC Sales and Marketing - Steve Landrum, CenterPoint Energy

• Marketing strategies
• Customer segmentation - residential, commercial, industrial
• New business opportunities

4:15  Review/Q&A

4:30   Adjourn

Wednesday, May 21

8:00 a.m. Continental breakfast

8:30   The Ratemaking Process - Michael Hansen

• How gas companies make money
• Role of the rate department
• Regulatory agencies
• Financial issues
• Cost of service and other rate components

9:30   Environmental and Safety Issues: Protecting People and Property - Peter Bell and Mark Vann, NRG Inc.

• Regulatory agencies
• Cost of compliance/non-compliance
• Land, air & water issues
• Environmental myths and realities
• Gas industry environmental record

10:30  Break

10:45   Future Trends In the Energy Industry - Michael Hansen

• Supply and demand issues
• Legislation and regulation
• Marketing of energy
• Price volatility
• Demographic trends
• Future outlook

11:45 Review/Q&A

         Adjourn

Contact: pdowney@southerngas.org